Amazing what wire can do

I've never experimented with speaker cables, but I have heard differences in instrument cables, both length and brand. I've had some that make my guitars sound brittle and slightly fizzy, some that make it sound like there is a blanket over the guitars sound, and some that seem to really open up the guitars tone. Same guitar and setup, just swapping cables out between the guitar/amp/Axe.

there are def differences in instrument cables- i have a cable called "Ripcord" made by i believe, MIT, and swapped this out w/ several other brands and there's no denying the improvement and definition
same w/ speaker cables- the same company made me what they call "GAS" cables and those mothers def thump w/ tight low end (my 4 x 12 Bogner cab alone w/ 13 ply birch buries an 11 ply Marshall cab just for an example of improvement w/ diff materials)
i also had detachable power cables made by MIT for my amp heads, really thick pythons w/ an inline block that had a profound effect on my tone
i also had great results using a power conditioner to clean up the supply electricity, the particular model, by MIT called "Z Series"
all these little touches add up to a better bigger picture
i know what Larry is talking about how you want to then replace ALL cabling w/ the good stuff but the expense is astronomical-so do it where it makes best sense
 
My take is that lower gauge wire works better for longer cable runs.

lower gauge cable i.e. 14 instead of 16 should work a lot better. being an electrician for 20 yrs, 12 gauge romex can carry the current more efficiently than 14g. i have my sound system speakers rewired w/ 12 gauge monster cable and it kicks major ass over the 20 gauge wire that pre-existed
 
I have read, can't remember where just now, that the highest gauge of speaker cable that won't radically effect tone is 14. I have been using 14 gauge cable for quite a while now. I do have a few 10 gauge short cables for head on cab situations, but anything else is 14 gauge, no higher.
Not sure whether manufacturer makes a big difference at the 14 gauge or lower point, I am sure there are higher quality cables that will further improve on tone transfer.
For me, that's just the rule of thumb, 14 gauge, no higher...ever.
 
lower gauge cable i.e. 14 instead of 16 should work a lot better. being an electrician for 20 yrs, 12 gauge romex can carry the current more efficiently than 14g. i have my sound system speakers rewired w/ 12 gauge monster cable and it kicks major ass over the 20 gauge wire that pre-existed

My current setup involves a 10' and a 25' 18 ga cable for two 8 ohm speakers.
I do notice the 25-footer sounding a bit more scooped so I'm planning on picking up a 14 ga 25' cable to try to even out the response between the 2 cabs a bit.
Y/N?
 
I have read, can't remember where just now, that the highest gauge of speaker cable that won't radically effect tone is 14. I have been using 14 gauge cable for quite a while now. I do have a few 10 gauge short cables for head on cab situations, but anything else is 14 gauge, no higher.
Not sure whether manufacturer makes a big difference at the 14 gauge or lower point, I am sure there are higher quality cables that will further improve on tone transfer.
For me, that's just the rule of thumb, 14 gauge, no higher...ever.

10 gauge is larger than 14 and would therefore have less resistance. Higher gauge = lower diameter. The USA loves it antiquated, confusing measurement systems doesn't it. Proper wire size depends on the speaker load, cable length, and power of the system. Using larger than needed just adds the expense and weight of extra copper. Using smaller than needed can affect the frequency response, volume output, and safety of the system.
 
My current setup involves a 10' and a 25' 18 ga cable for two 8 ohm speakers.
I do notice the 25-footer sounding a bit more scooped so I'm planning on picking up a 14 ga 25' cable to try to even out the response between the 2 cabs a bit.
Y/N?

That's odd, the higher the resistance the more midrange that is produced. IOW, the opposite effect of being scooped.
 
That's odd, the higher the resistance the more midrange that is produced. IOW, the opposite effect of being scooped.

Did I totally misconstrue your OP then?
Were you saying that a shorter speaker cable was giving you the unexpected 2-3 dB mid scoop rather than the longer cable?

If so then I must be imagining things over here because the last time I tried it the longer cable seemed to cause a noticeable scooped mid-range.
Guess I should try it again before I go out and waste my $ on a higher gauge speaker cable.
 
My current setup involves a 10' and a 25' 18 ga cable for two 8 ohm speakers.
I do notice the 25-footer sounding a bit more scooped so I'm planning on picking up a 14 ga 25' cable to try to even out the response between the 2 cabs a bit.
Y/N?
Joe i would def look into a lower gauge, quality cable to at least compare the differences. i feel the fidelity is quite improved and the sound is "tighter" more focused. what Cliff may be alluding to is certain gauge cable wire can act as an EQ device of sorts and there are trade-offs using one wire over another
 
Joe i would def look into a lower gauge, quality cable to at least compare the differences. i feel the fidelity is quite improved and the sound is "tighter" more focused. what Cliff may be alluding to is certain gauge cable wire can act as an EQ device of sorts and there are trade-offs using one wire over another

I think Cliff and I got our wires crossed somewhere. :)
 
Hell yeah, Cliff! I had a friend who worked for Monster Cables, while I was playing on bargain guitar cables. He told me that the shorter Monster Cable would make a difference in my sound and explained that the windings were different in order to preserve phase. My words to him were something like, "How could a piece of wire make that much difference?" I didn't believe him at all, but since he was a Rep for the company, he gave me one to try and told me he would sell it to me at cost if I just tried it. I did, and I had to do a double take and plug my old cable back in just to make sure I wasn't imagining it. I ate my words. I consequently changed all of my cables to high quality makes.

The same guy suggested that I try a digital effects processor for my rig. I used to call it the D-word and said I would never use a piece of digital equipment in my rig, but he had gained my trust with the cable. So, I started looking around online and kept reading about this thing called the AxeFX Ultra. I heard some recordings from it, and was impressed, but still couldn't hear it myself. I was a little worried about buying a piece of gear without hearing it, but I took the plunge. When I got it, I plugged it in and played for about 3 seconds on the first preset and said to myself "Oh yeah! This is staying with me!" I bought a power amp and FRFR system and was truly amazed. Once again, I ate my words. I have been amazed ever since and currently have the Axe II and love it. The constant updates are incredible. I think I've sold about 4 of them for you by word of mouth and demonstration.

Eating my own words has never tasted so good.

Sorry about the rambling, off-topic discussion, but it's how I ended up with the Axe FX.

Thanks for all the hard work. I feel like I got the deal of a lifetime when I consider all of the updates and time you put into this product. I'm not worthy!!! Haha! Happy New Year!
 
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